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Employers › CA

Retail Trade · Tracy, CA

Costco Wholesale Corporation

According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Costco Wholesale Corporation has a mixed safety record: 26 violations across 14 inspections. See the full breakdown below.

Top 10% by penalty31% serious
$35,495
OSHA penalties
26
Violations cited
14
OSHA inspections
#8,303
of 100,495 penalized employers

Costco Wholesale Corporation in Tracy, CA has been the subject of 14 OSHA workplace inspections and 26 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $35,495. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.

The record in one line

OSHA has inspected Costco Wholesale Corporation 14 times over 15 years, roughly once every couple of years. These inspections resulted in 26 violations, averaging 1.9 per inspection. Its total OSHA penalty ranks in the top 10% of penalized employers nationally. Of these, 8 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Retail Trade industry average of 1 inspections per employer, this runs far above peers (17.3x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, Memorial Bakery in Houston, TX is another retail trade employer with 0 OSHA inspections on record and $0 in current penalties.

1.9
violations per inspection
30.8%
of violations were serious
92%
of penalized employers rank lower

How Costco Wholesale Corporation compares on OSHA penalties

Total current penalty vs the Retail Trade per-employer average

in penalties

What this shows Costco Wholesale Corporation runs far above peers (12.3x the sector average) in total OSHA penalties.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts As of 2026

Where this penalty ranks nationally

Total current OSHA penalty vs every U.S. employer with a nonzero penalty

$35,495 Bottom 8% least affordable more affordable than 8% of 100,495 U.S. employers with a penalty

$0–$5,000: 44,435 U.S. employers with a penalty (44%). Below this entry. $5,000–$10,000: 20,628 U.S. employers with a penalty (21%). Below this entry. $10,000–$15,000: 11,165 U.S. employers with a penalty (11%). Below this entry. $15,000–$20,000: 6,629 U.S. employers with a penalty (7%). Below this entry. $20,000–$25,000: 4,205 U.S. employers with a penalty (4%). Below this entry. $25,000–$30,000: 2,885 U.S. employers with a penalty (3%). Below this entry. $30,000–$35,000: 2,052 U.S. employers with a penalty (2%). Below this entry. $35,000–$40,000: 1,483 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). This entry sits in this band. $40,000–$45,000: 1,120 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $45,000–$50,000: 792 U.S. employers with a penalty (1%). Above this entry. $50,000–$55,000: 5,101 U.S. employers with a penalty (5%). Above this entry. This employer $0 $55,000 every penalized U.S. employer, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. employers with a penalty. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026

What the Data Says About Costco Wholesale Corporation

The federal enforcement record for Costco Wholesale Corporation in Tracy, CA includes 14 OSHA inspections and 26 violations, translating to 1.86 violations per inspection. Of those violations, 8 (30.8%) were classified as serious, 0 (0.0%) as willful, and 0 (0.0%) as repeat. Serious violations denote hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm; willful and repeat categories indicate intentional disregard or recurrence of previously cited hazards.

OSHA assessed $97,305 in initial penalties against this employer, later adjusted to a current total of $35,495 - a 63.5% reduction. Average penalty per inspection works out to $2,535. Against the Retail Trade industry average of $2,879 per employer, this record runs far above peers (12.3x the sector average).

Inspection activity spans from 2011-01-06 to 2026-06-11, a window of roughly 15 years.

Enforcement detail

OSHA Inspection History

Total Inspections

14

First Inspection

2011-01-06

Last Inspection

2026-06-11

Inspection Span

15 yrs

Violations / Inspection

1.9

Avg Penalty / Inspection

$2,535

Industry Avg / Inspection

$3,566

What this shows 14 inspections over 15 years, averaging 1.9 violations per visit. That's $2,535 per inspection vs. the Retail Trade average of $3,566.

Enforcement detail

Violation Breakdown

8

Serious

30.8% of total

0

Willful

0.0% of total

0

Repeat

0.0% of total

18

Other-Than-Serious

69.2% of total

What this shows Serious violations involve hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate intentional or knowing disregard of the law. Repeat violations are for hazards previously cited within the past 5 years.

Enforcement detail

Penalty Analysis

Initial Penalty Assessed

$97,305

Current Penalty Amount

$35,495

Penalty Reduction

63.5%

What this shows Penalties were reduced by $61,810 from the initial assessment of $97,305. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.

Industry Safety Context: Retail Trade

How Costco Wholesale Corporation compares to the Retail Trade sector, which has 12,990 employers tracked by PlainWorker.

Metric Costco Wholesale Corporation Industry Avg
Inspections 14 0.8
Violations 26 1.7
Total Penalty $35,495 $2,879
Avg Penalty per Inspection $2,535 $3,566
View all 12,990 employers in Retail Trade →

Nearby & Similar Employers in Retail Trade

Memorial Bakery
Houston, TX
0 inspections $0
Asian Food Market - Staten Island, NY
Staten Island, NY
0 inspections $0
Broadway Mart Corp. (Valero)
Newburgh, NY
0 inspections $0
Pueblo Long Bay #111
St Thomas, VI
0 inspections $0
The Kroger CO.
Henderson, NV
2 inspections $35,426

Compare Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Memorial Bakery side-by-side →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Costco Wholesale Corporation safe to work at? ▼
Based on OSHA records, Costco Wholesale Corporation's workplace safety record is mixed, with some compliance concerns. The employer has 26 violations across 14 inspections, including 8 serious violations. Compared to Retail Trade industry peers, this is above average for penalties. Review the full inspection history below for details.
How many OSHA violations does Costco Wholesale Corporation have? ▼
Costco Wholesale Corporation has 26 OSHA violations on record, including 8 serious, 0 willful, and 0 repeat violations. The total current penalty amount is $35,495.
How many OSHA inspections has Costco Wholesale Corporation had? ▼
Costco Wholesale Corporation has had 14 OSHA inspections, with the first recorded on 2011-01-06 and the most recent on 2026-06-11. This averages 1.9 violations per inspection.
What is the total penalty amount for Costco Wholesale Corporation? ▼
Costco Wholesale Corporation has been assessed $35,495 in current OSHA penalties, reduced from an initial assessment of $97,305 (a 63.5% reduction).
Does Costco Wholesale Corporation have any serious or willful violations? ▼
Yes. Costco Wholesale Corporation has 8 serious violations. Serious violations involve hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate the employer intentionally or knowingly disregarded the law.
What industry does Costco Wholesale Corporation operate in? ▼
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates in the Retail Trade sector (NAICS code 453998). This industry has 12,990 employers tracked by PlainWorker, with 10,487 total OSHA inspections and $37.39M in cumulative penalties.
How does Costco Wholesale Corporation's safety record compare to industry average? ▼
Costco Wholesale Corporation's total OSHA penalty of $35,495 is above the Retail Trade industry average of $2,879 per employer (12.3x the average). The employer has 14 inspections compared to the industry average of 0.8 per employer. For a direct comparison, Memorial Bakery in Houston, TX is a similar retail trade employer with $0 in current penalties.

Explore PlainWorker

Retail Trade Industry

All 12,990 employers in this sector
Employers in CA

All inspected employers in this state
Safety Rankings

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What to check next

Costco Wholesale Corporation's record is one establishment in a larger pattern. Use it as a research checklist, not a verdict on the employer overall.

These figures are the federal enforcement record on file and reflect past inspections, not a statement about current workplace conditions. See the disclaimer for how to read them.

Data Sources & Methodology ▼

Data as of 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA, WHD).

Source: OSHA Enforcement Data

Inspection and violation records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, covering the period 2010–2026. Includes inspection dates, violation types (serious, willful, repeat, other-than-serious), and penalty amounts. Penalties shown are current assessed amounts and may differ from original citations due to settlement, contest, or reduction.

Source: Wage and Hour Division (WHD)

Compliance actions from the WHD, covering enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including minimum wage, overtime, and child labor violations. Back wages represent amounts owed to affected employees as determined by WHD investigations.

Employer Matching

Employers are matched across OSHA and WHD datasets by name, state, and city. Employers included in PlainWorker have 2 or more OSHA inspections or $1,000+ in WHD back wages. Data is updated monthly from data.dol.gov.

Verify with OSHA establishment search →

Every figure on PlainWorker is rendered directly from official U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and Wage & Hour Division enforcement records, no number is typed in by an editor. This employer's ratios (penalty-per-violation, industry comparisons) are computed live from the 14 inspections on record. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.